The other day FINIS announced the immediate availability of their new AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor, an audible heart rate monitor designed to help swimmers with staying fit.  Being an avid swimmer, and someone who’s on a real fitness kick lately (a sister’s wedding will do that to you) I’m quite intrigued by the thing.  You clip it on your goggle’s straps, then put a soft rubber piece on your ear – and by some magic it’s able to read your heart beat and then audibly give you real-time updates.  It all sounds quite interesting, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one!  Full press release after the jump.

Utilizing patented bone-conduction and infrared technology the FINIS AquaPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor

provides heart rate awareness to maximize your swim workout

Livermore, CA – (July 12, 2011) FINIS, a world leader in technical swimming products that maximize your fitness potential and technique, announces the immediate availability of the AquaPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor, an audible heart rate monitor for swimmers and water fitness enthusiasts. The AquaPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor is a small workout accessory built for swimmers looking to get the most out of their workout through heart rate training. Simply slip the AquaPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor inside your goggle strap, attach the soft rubber clip to your earlobe, and start swimming. Using an infrared sensor, your heart beat is detected through your earlobe by capillary activity. The heart rate is then audibly communicated to you in real time, where the information is transmitted directly to your inner ear via Bone Conduction Technology. No ear buds, no cumbersome chest straps and no watch device is needed. You will never have to stop to check your heart rate again. The AquaPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor is now available for $149.99 MSRP at www.FINISInc.com.

For the past decade heart rate training has been utilized by top athletes in all sports to improve their training levels. As an accurate measurement of your intensity or exertion level a heart rate monitor is the easiest and most precise way to continuously measure your heart rate. By understanding and monitoring your ideal heart rate zone while training, you are able to consistently train your body at the optimum fitness levels.  Knowing the work zone for your heart prevents over-training, under-training, and encourages correct pacing. As a result heart rate monitors (HRM’s) can show you when you’re dehydrated, running out of nutrition, or not recovered from a previous day’s workout.

“As a fitness or competitive swimmer you should know your maximum heart rate and train in your zone to optimize your workout,” says John Mix, President of FINIS. “Current heart rate monitors are meant for running and dryland training, but are awkward in the water as athletes are hindered by slipping straps and delayed information on watches. Our heart rate monitor features a design that provides an audible heart rate announcement while you swim, eliminating the need to stop and calculate your heart rate or look at your watch. Because you don’t have to stop you will have a more accurate heart rate calculation and no down time, thus maximizing your workout.”

“As an elite swimmer, the more I know about my body, the better I can train,” says Jason Lezak, seven time Olympic Medalist. “I use the AquaPulse ™ Heart Rate Monitor consistently during my training practices because it’s more accurate and easier than stopping to take my pulse. I do heart rate specific training sets in addition to monitoring my heart rate when I train. I can also hear my heart rate instantly at a press of a button whenever I need it.”

Features and Benefits include:

• Audible Heart Rate in Real Time – Heart rate is announced while you move; no need to pause and look at a watch
• Bone Conduction Audio Announcement – Verbally conveys your heart rate through your cheekbone into your inner ear; no ear buds needed (Humans normally hear through air conduction, but because there is no air underneath the water, bone conduction provides the clearest sound quality possible)
• Infrared Sensor Technology – The Infrared sensor measures the light pulses due to capillary blood flow in the skin and calculates the number of beats per minute (b/m) that the body is working
• Instant Heart Rate Button – Push the “Instant Heart Rate” button to hear your last recorded heart rate reading
• Heart Rate Fluctuation Monitoring – Audible updates given at selected time increments; if there is no change in your heart rate you will not hear an update
• Announcement Increments – Set the device to announce every 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes or 5 minutes
• Waterproof - Made for swimmers by swimmers; all buttons are waterproof
• Easy Attachment – No chest strap or watches needed; just slip inside your goggle strap
• Lithium-Ion Battery – Lasts from 5 to 8+ hours depending on interval setting; gives an audible low battery announcement when low
• USB Charging – To recharge, plug the AquaPulse™ Heart Rate Monitor directly into the USB port on a computer or USB wall charger

For more information visit FINISinc.com

About FINIS:

Founded in 1993 in Northern California, FINIS was started by John Mix and Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer Pablo Morales. The Monofin and the Swimmer’s Snorkel were the first products they developed for the US market; afterwards, they continued to focus on creating training tools for swimmers and coaches worldwide. FINIS products are currently available in over 60 countries and are used by US and International Olympic teams, elite triathletes, and fitness swimmers.

Innovative research and design is FINIS’ highest priority. This dedication has resulted in truly unique products such as: the Swimmer’s Snorkel, which is recognized as the paramount tool to improve a swimmer’s technique, the SwiMP3 that uses bone conduction technology to play music instead ear buds, and the Z2 Zoomers fins, which demonstrate an intimate understanding of swimming musculature, hydrodynamics, and engineering.

Visit the FINIS Blog at http://www.finisinc.com/blog/

Cyclocomputer running on Android. That sounds like some sort of doomsday machine, which would be nice for a change, I guess. Instead, it’s a humble bike computer/meter, though – when you take into account that not all bike computers run Android, it doesn’t seem so humble anymore.

From this day forth, cyclocomputers with numerical displays will have to hide their heads in shame, because this bad boy does graphics and app integration on top of whatever else cyclocomputers do. And no, they don’t destroy worlds, I goggled that.

“This device is mainly for road bikes and other sports bikes. It can calculate speed, cadence, heart rate, and power. This cyclocomputer supports the ANT+ wireless specification. In addition, Pioneer has now developed a sensor for attachment to the crank, called a pedaling monitor. This measures the force on the crank, so users can train while looking at the force vectors for their left and right feet.”

What more do you want to know? This is approximately the amount of gadgetry found on your average 1950′s submarine, at home on your bike. You’re lucky if you don’t get in an accident while trying to make sense of all the data on display.

“Because this cyclocomputer has GPS, we think navigation will be a key feature. Pioneer offers a variety of navigation capabilities, so we’d like to add applications that include those kinds of technology. Also, this device is designed for bicycles only, but we think the platform itself could have a diverse range of applications.”

So they’re thinking of putting it in 2010 submarines. Good luck with that Pioneer, and may I suggest looking into the sub fleets of third world countries..

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I’ve never been one for Nike+, the previously iPod-specific application that tracks running and exercise statistics. That may be because I’m not a runner, never have been, and probably will never be. It could also be because I don’t really want to know how long or how far I actually ran. Sometimes it’s better not knowing.

Nike’s Just Do It motto completely disagrees, and thus the SportWatch GPS. It’s an atypical watch with a more sophisticated monochrome display than your typical $5 watch. No more than 3 buttons and a gesture sensor control the SportWatch, which are intended to scroll through the minimalist menus or activate the GPS.

I played around with the SportWatch, and as someone who gave up wearing watches years ago (I prefer pocket watches…but more reasonably use a cellphone), I can appreciate the design. It’s lightweight though with a large head. The backlight is enabled by taping on the front, one of the gestures. Navigating the menus is an absolute no-brainer. One button scrolls down, another up, and the last is colored green and selects the highlighted option.

Nike representatives assured me that, thanks to their collaboration with TomTom, who supplies the GPS data for the SportWatch, it’s accurate within several feet. That means no tricking it like the iPod’s pedometer. It also means more options for exercise, such as setting up timed laps for runs around specific paths and recording best times. The little things, like a congratulatory note when completing a run, are nice touches.

What I don’t like, but don’t see a realistic way around, is the need to connect the SportWatch to a computer. This is required for two reasons: first, to download the data off the watch to Nike’s website for your personalized data to be stored and viewable to you. Second, the SportWatch uses a small lithium-ion battery and must be recharged, depending on your usage, weekly. With zero running, I’m told that it’ll last up to two months, but that the GPS drains the battery and if you run three times a week, the battery should be charged once weekly. The USB connector is tucked safely away in the strap.

The SportWatch works with other Nike+ accessories, like the heart monitor and shoe sensors, but it also works fine as a standalone device. Nike expects to launch on April 1st, selling specifically through their online store, as well as TomTom’s. A larger retail release will start July 1st. There is no price set for the Nike SportWatch GPS yet.

If you wanna be the envy of all the dads on the block, you need the Biometric Car Starter.  It’s an aftermarket part that costs $700 and ships from none other than Skymall.

In terms of functionality it’s comparable to that of any kill switch you might find on a modern day vehicle.  We had them installed on our vehicles as a kid.  They prevent someone from starting your car unless they know which switch to flip – ours was the cruise control.  So, if you found the switch you could steal the car, provided of course you had the key or could jump-start a vehicle.

The Biometric Car Starter sits in plain sight, but unless you’ve got a registered fingerprint you won’t be able to start the car.  And in the event that someone uses your corpse of a hand – or they cut off a finger – the system is designed, in a matter of seconds mind you, to detect pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature.  It will also scan the capillary patterns under the skin to insure you’re alive.

Keep in mind that after market car alarms are usually a nightmare.  So if you can’t risk your car not starting, you might wanna take a dose of skepticism.  Plus it costs $700!  But hey, that $700 could make your car impenetrable to thieves and you the talk of the neighborhood.

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The days of having your fellow coworker ‘clock you in’ are over thanks to the Attendance Time Card Recorder with Fingerprint Verification.  That’s right.  When you punch in you gotta lay down some biometric credentials if you wanna get paid.  Course, if you manage to fabricate a fake fingerprint your boss will never be able to argue that you weren’t there.  If you’re the boss man you can grab one from Chinavasion for $131.

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Childhood obesity is a big problem, no matter who you ask–but there may be a new gadget to help stop it.  It’s called a mandometer, and it weighs a plate of food at the beginning of a meal, and then tracks the rate at which food leaves the plate.  It then gives an audible warning to slow down if it believes you’re eating too fast.

Call it a MANDible speedOMETER, a measure of jaw speed–it works on the basic principle that if you eat slower, you’ll eat less overall because your brain will send signals that you’re full.  The faster you eat, the more likely you are to override the signals from the brain saying that your stomach is full.

Early tests of the mandometer are encouraging, with 106 obese children taking on a 12-month trial, with eating speeds falling, and portion sizes falling to match.  No word on how much actual weight the obese children lost, but when portion sizes fall it’s really sort of axiomatic that weight will fall to match.

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Now, you might look at the above title, and conclude that I’ve finally gone whistling fruitcrackers clear round the bend.  Or maybe just thoroughly insane for those who don’t like colorful metaphors.  But I assure you it is true–the Pentagon is currently hard at work spending your tax dollars on creating a line of zombie pigs.

It actually started with mice.  Researchers discovered that there was a way to remove sixty percent of the blood from a mouse, inject it with a drug cocktail involving hydrogen sulfide.  This cocktail in turn caused the remaining blood to stop flowing and the heart to stop beating, but here’s the kicker–it could be brought back to life later.

Convinced that they were on to something, those same researchers then decided to turn their attention to pigs, which have a surprisingly similar cardiovascular system to guess who?  That’s right, us–HUMANS.

This is actually being billed as a suspended animation system for soldiers in the field, who researchers project would be issued a syringe full of this drug cocktail in case of severe wounds.  They could then inject themselves and induce suspended animation, giving their cohorts time to find them and get them to field hospitals.

In turn, this is also a huge possibility for civilian applications, including everything from medical first responders–imagine what this would do for accident or heart attack victims?–to the missing component for interstellar travel.

Zombie pigs may sound weird, but they may well be the first step towards an incredible array of systems and products.

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Oh Japan…have I told you lately that I love you?

You’ve given me some of the coolest, strangest, and most downright preposterous topics to write about of all time.  And today, you’ve given me a topic that’s ALL THREE.  You’ve given me a topic that proves conclusively that you’re going insane and yet you’re also brilliant.

You’ve given me the Tele Scouter, a headset-mounted translation device.

Yes, it’s actually called the Scouter.  For those of you now about to quote Dragon Ball Z, indeed, his power level is over nine thousand.

Anyway, the Tele Scouter uses an imaging device to project images directly onto your retina, and the images in question are fields of text, generated by voice recognition and translation programs that literally show you what someone else is saying, in your language, before your very eyes.

And it’s not just translation, either–there’s talk these can be used in sales pitches to get instant access to customers’ shopping records via face recognition technology.  Now, I don’t know what the long term ramifications are of getting all that light shined directly onto your retina, but the thought of an instant translator IS pretty cool.  The price is pretty salty, as you might expect–about eighty three thousand dollars for a set of thirty, plus the cost of any custom software to go with it.

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If you or someone you love has chronic heart problems, like the kind that took my grandfather, then you might well be interested to hear about the results of the three month test that’s currently in its second month for a kind of portable heart monitor that can send data back to medical professionals automatically on a regular basis.

In a partnership with Gen-i and Alcatel-Lucent, the gear in question uses a Bluetooth system (ah, Bluetooth–what can’t you do?) to, with the press of a button on the control unit, take blood pressure and weight readings from an electronic scale at the patients’ houses and sends them to hospital staff.

The technology in question is easily portable, allowing patients to continue living fairly normal lives while getting treatment, and allows medical professionals to free up hospital rooms and also keep themselves from getting tied down to their own offices.  In fact, the guy you see above is one of the current test subjects, and he’s reporting a whole lot of positives from the new technology.

The trial is expected to finish up in December and results released early 2010.

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The Punjab police, ladies and gentlemen, have stepped boldly into twenty-first century law enforcement technology by receiving a consignment of Tasers, the first of their kind in India.

They’ve become both ubiquitous and infamous in the United States, the devices fire a pair of darts connected to the base unit by thin cables with transmit an electrical current into the subject, thus incapacitating him.

The Punjab police have apparently ordered enough Tasers to outfit two entire battalions.

Tales of gross misuse of Tasers follow them literally everywhere, with the classic cry of “Don’t tase me, bro!” intermingling with stories of the devices being used for torture as they don’t leave marks on the body.  Considering the sheer amount of bad press these things have taken over the years, it’s a wonder any police department is actually looking at them.

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All right, road warriors, pay attention–because this is some really awesome news, especially if you have to do a lot of time-zone hopping in the course of your travels.  This is also awesome for anyone with a hugely variable schedule that requires you to work, and sleep, at different times every day.

We’re talking about Daylight Savers from Flinders Tech, glasses with a pair of bright blue LED lights that shine directly into your eyes, causing a delay in your circadian rhythm.  Now, circadian rhythms are those things that generally cause you to get tired at the same time every day, or wake up at about the same time every day, or even get hungry at certain times.

There are literally dozens of different uses for this product, though I have to wonder about the long term effects of artificially altering your circadian rhythms. However, for people whose time clocks are already out of whack, this could be the answer to your prayers.

They’re not yet ready for market, so there’s no pricing or release data, but they hope to have them available within the next year.

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Flashback to a time when facial recognition seemed so far off from reality.  Now open your eyes.  This FaceID system can recognize up to 500 different faces using a pair of digital cameras to create a 3-D image of your face.  After that it runs a face detection algorithm to determine if the image matches the one in the database.

Thanks to the 3-D imagery it prevents you from holding up a picture and scamming the system but that’s not to say that a blow up doll wouldn’t work.  Claiming less than a 0.0001% margin of error and can adjust to various light conditions on the fly.

Capable of integrating with a Wiegand Interface for controlling security systems, you can purchase this FaceID Recognition Device for $447 at the ChinaVision website.

[via Technabob]

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There’s a startup company out there called Backyard Brains, run by a pair of neuroscientists who are marketing a piece of equipment they designed and built themselves called the SpikerBox.  And when you hear what this thing can do, you might be interested in becoming a shade tree neuroscientist yourself.

So what does a SpikerBox do?  Well, basically…it lets you read the minds of insects.

With a SpikerBox, you can effectively “eavesdrop” on the patterns of neurons firing in a bug’s mind by inserting metal probes into that insect’s leg.  The probes then transmit back data on the bug’s neural activity, called “spikes”, which can then be translated into sounds you can hear on the device’s onboard speaker or seen on your PC.

Admittedly, there’s not a whole lot of practical use for the SpikerBox, but it’s still a pretty sweet idea.  You ever read the mind of  a bug before?  SpikerBox is counting on your desire to do exactly that, and they’re looking for grant funding right now.

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When you think of General Electric, the first thing to spring to mind might be light bulbs, or possibly NBC.  But I doubt you think of portable ultrasound gadgets, and that’s a shame.  Because as it turns out, they’ve just invented one.

It’s called the GE VScan Portable Ultrasound, and soon, you too can be jumping from pregnant belly to pregnant belly, offering a sneak peek at Junior.  Hopefully you also know a good lawyer to boost you out of the looney bin if you actually try that.

But actually, this may be a pretty fair idea.  Think about the concept of an EMT with the ability to notice fluid around the heart in the ambulance ride to the hospital.  Cardiologists could have at their fingertips near-instant access to ultrasound gear instead of scheduling it at a larger facility.  And they could do this for far, FAR less money than the average ultrasound gear.

No word as yet on when this will be released, but it’s a pretty awesome idea when you come down to it.

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Another snoopy fitness gadget comes our way in the form of the Fitbit, which took the TechCrunch 50 by storm last year but couldn’t seem to get off the ground.  But it’s now got a launch date scheduled–this Tuesday.

The ninety nine dollar FitBit will clip to your clothes and, based on your movement, help determine how much exercise you’ve been getting and how many calories you’ve burned thanks to an internal motion detector.  Even better, you can keep track of all that stuff in a direct, graphic fashion by checking an icon of a flower on the side of the device that grows as your activity level grows.  And if you’re not that into flowers, word is you can actually change that icon.

But that’s not all!  If you wear the FitBit while you sleep, that motion detection hardware can actually track your SLEEP patterns based on how often you move in a day.  No worries if you don’t wear much that you can clip it to–the FitBit will work just fine on a wristband.

So if you’re out to get fit, the FitBit may be able to help.

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If you’re having a tough time keeping your weight down, you may be interested to know that a new gadget is available to help.  It’s called the Bodybugg and it helps in pretty much every aspect of weight loss.

The Bodybugg measures skin temperature and motion to get an idea of what kind of movement you’re  engaging in, and thus get a better idea of your muscle use and therefore exercise.  Plus, there’s a pedometer, and can coordinate with a web based program to help you monitor your food intake.

It’s battery operated and the people behind it claim a ninety percent accuracy rate in terms of measurement, so you’ll be able to get a handle on things even if it isn’t total accuracy.  They retail for about two hundred and fifty dollars, so you’ll be able to get your hands on one without too much trouble.

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Perhaps you’ve got plans for a trip abroad that include a ‘seedy’ location with the potential for criminal threat lurking at every corner.  Sure, locking your luggage would be a great solution, but generally speaking fumbling for a key to access its contents is, well, just not cool or practical.  There to excel you into tech wowness is Heys USA, Inc., who will launch a 19-inch and 20-inch suitcase with built-in fingerprint reader.  The Biocase consists of a ‘indestructible’ hard shell and can be accessed by up to 8 stored fingerprints.  If your travels are longer than 90 days then you’ll want to tote along the included USB charger.

The Biocases are hitting the street this April for a yet to be disclosed price.

Full release below

Miami – March 1, 2009 – Heys USA, Inc., the inventor of the “The World’s Lightest Carry-on Luggage” and leader in innovative, hard side luggage, announces the BioCase, a line of both a 19” business case and a 20” carry-on luggage piece which both requires the owner’s fingerprint for accessibility when locked. Retailer availability will begin in April 2009.

The BioCase features exclusive biometric (fingerprint) technology that unlocks when memorized fingerprints access the case. The cases are nearly indestructible with their hard side design, adding even more security and protection during your travels.  The 19” business case converts to an overnighter, removing the need for two luggage items.  The 20” carry-on fits easily into airline overhead compartments.  Each case will “memorize” up to eight fingerprints with a memory that remains charged for 90 days.  Each case can be fully charged using a power adapter or USB plug. Both cases are lightweight and created with ease of transport in mind with ergonomic, non-slip TRP comfort grips.  Each comes with a full lined interior and is made with the highest quality materials.

“Heys has established a standard of excellence by providing function, quality, and durability without compromising style, “ commented Heys USA President and CEO, Harry Sheikh. “And now it is time for us to leverage technology to rewrite the rules of luggage.  It is what our customers have come to expect from Heys USA.”

Vein Scanners are nothing new, but we have yet to see them gain significant ground in the consumer market.  Today, Sony announced a compact finger vein authentication technology that is small enough to fit on a mobile phone.  Called the Mofiria, it works by shooting LED light through the finger.  The CMOS sensor (widely used in cameras) then captures the information, and then though some algorithmic magic creates a sort of pass code based off the finger’s vein structure.

Sony plans to bring the Mofiria technology to the commercial market this fiscal year.

[Techfresh]

Apparently, when Fujitsu says ‘peace of mind’ they mean it.  Why so?  They’re latest phone, which is available on Japan’s NTT DOCOMO network, features fingerprint security and the ability to be submersed in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes.  The F-01A’s fingerprint scanner, which is from AuthenTec’s TouchStone packaging technology, also doubles as a mini mouse pad.  Other features includes a 5MP camera, GPS, 3.5-inch touchscreen, 1Seg Mobile TV tuner and e-Wallet mobile payment.

[Slipperybrick]

Scott A. Jones won a contract with the telephone industry back in the late 80s to develop a mass level voicemail system. He also invented Gracenote and a few other things. As a result, he’s been ‘paid’, and his home in Indianapolis reflects it with opulence you and I could never even begin to dream up. Hit the videos for a complete walk through of his mansion, but my faves have to be the 8 screen computer with built-in bicycle, eye scanner to enter his own bedroom, waterfall shower that drops 300 gallons a minute and multiple secret passage ways.

[Thanks, Erik]